“Today I had nothing to lose by being aggressive on return,” Raonic said. “I knew I would hold my serve and I haven’t lost it during the tournament, so why not try something different when returning. I found my rhythm early and kept going as the match went on.”

Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., is ranked sixth in the world, two positions above Cilic. The Canadian will go for his ninth career ATP World Tour title and first since winning in Brisbane at the 2016 season opener.

This is Raonic’s first tournament since suffering a hamstring injury at the Miami tournament in March. He has split two previous meetings against Cilic.

“I’ve come back from many injuries, so I know how to find my level,” said Raonic. “It took me a few matches to find it, but I think that I’m moving more in the right direction to getting to my best level.”